Acceptable
by Limxuxu09
Summary: A sequel of "Everything Changes". Summer is here and Madison and her childhood friends are finally able to reunite once again! But will their planned fun and exciting vacation push through when an unexpected but familiar visitor came unexpectedly?
1. Back to how it was before

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Madison Finn and the rest of characters in the novel written by Laura Dower... I am merely a huge and loyal fan who got inspired and wrote something that I could see possibly occurring in the series... (or so I hope :D)

...

_How long had it been since I last wrote something for this so-called 'files' I have? It had been years! I remember I was 13 years old then when I started doing this and it was very important that I update them often. There were even moments when I tend to forget about homework and other school stuff just so I could organize and reread the things I write that make my life more interesting than it ever was… I wonder how it ended though…_

Madison Finn grinned at her laptop, rereading what she had written so far. It was weird to start writing on her files again, especially since writing had not been something she'd been doing ever since after her junior high school days. And now, she was starting to rekindle her old interest, bringing her nostalgia to her past. She continued on with more thoughts flowing inside of her.

_It must have been when Hart had moved away and I found it harder to write again when he left. And afterwards, my attempts to start this thing I used to do had failed miserably that I decided to just give up. If I were to continue this, I must have had my own blog now or the career I have pursued would be something like a writer… on newspapers! That would be funny since all I write was about myself! What would I want to write about then? Politics? Nah! Beauty and women? How beautiful I am and how strong I am as a woman? How inspiring I can be?_

She chuckled at that thought and instantly covered her mouth. Looking around, she breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she did not wake up her roommate Jenna Stuart. Though it was already 11 in the morning, her redhead roommate spent her night partying with her other friends as a celebration for the start of the summer vacation. She asked Madison to come with her but as usual, the more passive girl declined.

_Anyway, I know last time all I could talk about was HART JONES! But now, everything changed! Who could believe that I would fall in love with my former crush's cousin whom I swore before that I would never EVER have a crush on? How ridiculous was that? Well, it was not really but then again, I had never felt so happy and contented in my entire life! Not even when I was with Hart but of course that was totally different since I was 13 then and now I'm 18 and more matured and wiser (hopefully) and more experienced (as if! Experienced with what? LOL)! I try haha! _

_Oh and I'm back to being friends with Vicky aka Bigwheels, my former keypal. It was a lot different now though in a good way since we see each other often unlike before we just exchanged emails. I love it actually that I'm gaining more friends! And of course, I still haven't lost my best friends Aimee, Fiona and Lindsay though I haven't heard from Lindsay for a very long time now. I wonder how she is :/_

The shrilling sound of her phone made Madison jump. She was too absorbed with what she was typing. Quickly, she picked up her phone, saw who the caller was and answered it with a wide smile on her face.

"Hey!" she said enthusiastically.

"Maddie!" the person on the other line exclaimed with his throaty deep laugh. "Had breakfast yet?"

"Drew Maxwell! It's almost noon! Shouldn't you be asking about lunch?" she laughed.

"Well, that too," he responded sheepishly. "Hasn't had breakfast yet actually. Had to help Jake move out his stuff. He wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Aw. Poor baby. Should we feed the famished?"

"Gladly! I'll pick you up in 10 minutes!"

"I'll be the girl in..." Madison looked down at what she's wearing. She scrunched her nose, realizing how ridiculous she looked. "You'd have to hold on that. I still got to change so make that 15 minutes."

"You look cute with whatever you wear."

She scoffed. "Not in this outfit, I don't."

"Whatever, Maddie. Just don't make me wait too long. You know how cranky I get when I'm hungry."

Madison laughed. "You don't have to remind me, honey. No wonder you're getting too cheesy at this time."

"Aw really, Maddie," Drew answered, pretending to be hurt. "I'm just trying to be sweet to my girl. Is that so wrong? I already miss you."

"Okay stop! Enough!"

He laughed. "I'll see you later."

"Bye."

With a groan, Madison glanced down at her outfit of a yellow shirt with a flower at the middle which she found "so middle grade" and a pair of ugly green boxers that would surely make people talk about her for the rest of their lives. She stood up from her study table and tossed her phone to her unmade bed. Feeling unorganized and untidy, she went for her bed first and started folding her blanket and plopping her pillows. Then she approached her cabinet to fix her clothing malfunction.

After 2 minutes, Madison had finally set on wearing her white University of Pennsylvania shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. Her legs were starting to get goose bumps because their air-conditioning system was in full blast but she knew that her outfit is fit for the hot temperature outside. Finally slipping on the usual pair of clogs she wears in a normal day, she sat in front her laptop again to finish her journal since there was still time before Drew's arrival.

_So yeah I just talked to my boyfriend and we'll be going out for lunch so it should not be a big deal but I can't help it. I always get excited when I'm about to see him. I mean I know I see him about 4 to 5 times a week and we have been together for half a year now but I just really could not help it. _

_It's good that Drew and Hart had already patched things up after the whole hospital thing so we could double date. Those two cousins are so weird. One moment they're all "I don't care about him and I wouldn't want to deal with him even if it kills me" and then later they're all "Hey man! It's all a big understanding. It was hard not talking to you." No matter how weird they get, I guess it's still great that they're friends again. Everything is a lot easier now. Like a happy ending in a story book. Gee, that is cheesy. I can't believe Drew's cheesiness is contagious. LOL_

There was a quick knock on the door and Madison instantly jumped up to open. She had to catch her breath when she saw how handsome Drew was in his simple getup of a black loose shirt and a pair of jeans who was standing in front of her doorstep. There was still this feeling inside of her that she's proud to call him hers.

"Why hello gorgeous," she said in a joking way though she meant it. "You look good to eat!"

Drew's face started to get red. "Maddie!" he exclaimed that made his girlfriend laugh. Even though he appears cool and confident, he still gets embarrassed when Madison gets flirty at him even in just a joking way. "Ready to go?"

"Just a sec!" she cried, running back to her bed. Quickly, she picked up her small handbag and tossed her phone and wallet inside. Then, she had put her laptop on sleep mode and finally went to where Drew was waiting.


	2. Plastic Girl

"So who else is coming then?" Madison asked as she sipped the last of her chocolate shake.

"Hmmm," Drew replied, reaching out towards the girl in front of him and wiping the excess chocolate on her face. "Everybody will."

"Even Chet?"

The brown-haired guy laughed. "Don't sound so surprised now. Our vacation house is near Far Hills and everyone will be going home for summer. Of course everyone can come."

Madison, who was sitting up straight with a bewildered expression leaned back on her chair. "Fiona said she could not even talk to her brother anymore. Imagine the two of them going to separate universities. It must be hard for them."

He smirked. "Why would that be? They used to scream at each other a lot back in Junior High, right? Had their relationship improved when I left?"

"Not really," she sighed. "It actually got worse. When Chet dumped a girl who happened to be Fiona's friend from soccer, the two had gotten into a really bad fight. Afterwards, they just did not speak to each other anymore. That was during our junior year in High School. We don't really talk about it but it's obvious that Fiona worries a lot about her brother. I can see it on her face when Chet would end up getting in trouble."

"Well, maybe this will be a chance for them to be back to normal again," he said, signalling a waiter for their check.

"I hope," Madison said, sadly. Then she grinned. "Well, I can't wait to go to Spring Beach with our old friends. I mean this our first reunion together after a very long time."

Drew smiled in reply.

After paying for their brunch, the two finally left the restaurant. They started strolling by the street outside the campus hand in hand. Even though it was already summer, the heat of the sun was still comfortable enough so a lot of people were still outside enjoying.

The couple started discussing about their summer plans in one of the Maxwell's lavished beach houses. All of their junior high school friends were invited and everyone will come except for Lindsay Frost, who's too busy with theatre.

Out of the blue, a huge billboard caught Madison's eyes. It was an advertisement of a perfume with the face of Ellie Min, one of the fast rising models in the fashion industry. She was laughing at the photo, as if it was a candid of shot of her, too perfect that they just had to use it as an ad.

"Maddie?" Drew asked when Madison abruptly stopped.

"She is so beautiful," she gushed. Her face in awe was met with her boyfriend's curious ones. "I could not help looking at her. She's just too pretty for words."

Drew looked up to what Madison was looking at. His curious face turned into sudden bitterness and looked away as if the sight was too distasteful. "Let's just go," he said quietly and started walking away, still holding her hands.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, letting herself be pulled.

"It's nothing," he answered, avoiding her eyes.

Not satisfied with his response, Madison stopped and pulled away. Drew looked back at her, surprised.

"Something's up and you better tell me now," she said with a small smile on her face.

Drew shook his head and looked straight to her eyes with his hands on his waist. "I just can't stand looking at those plastic girls, Maddie. And to hear you admire them because you think they're beautiful and… and perfect? That's too much for me."

There was a brief silence. Then Madison laughed. "Why do you have to be too serious about it? I just said she's pretty."

She started walking ahead, leaving the stunned guy behind.

"Well you're way prettier than her anyway!" Drew shouted that made Madison chuckle.

"Maybe they dated before?" Jenna suggested, brushing her red hair thoughtfully in front of the mirror, her back on Madison.

After their brief walk, Drew dropped off Madison to her dorm so she could pack up her stuff. The couple would be driving back to New York that afternoon. When she arrived, Jenna was already awake and the brown-haired girl ended up sharing about the billboard incident.

Upon hearing what her roommate said, Madison, who was bent down under her study table to retrieve some of her things suddenly had the urge to stand up, making her bonk her head.

"Ow!"

Jenna turned around to check what happened. "Are you okay?"

Madison slowly stood up while rubbing the bump. "Do you think it's possible?" she asked nervously. "I mean, Drew had gone out with lots of really pretty girls in this school before. But won't he tell me that if he did?"

With a sigh, the redhead stopped combing her hair and leaned back on her bed. "Maybe it's still too painful for him to talk about it. Maybe if they did date before, maybe she broke his heart or something."

Stillness fell over them and the burst of laughter from the other room could easily be heard. The troubled girl approached her bed and started putting clothes into her luggage.

Jenna jumped up and threw her arms around her friend. "Maddie, don't stress about it," she assured. "You're with Drew now and you very well know what you two had gone through so what you have is strong. It's also possible that after dating flirty girls who just care about their looks, it already irk him to hear you say you think that kind of girl is admirable."

Madison nodded. "I know I shouldn't think about it too much. I don't know why it bothered me."

"Well you shouldn't worry about it anymore," Jenna exclaimed cheerfully. "You'll be going home to Far Hills and you'll get to spend your summer with Drew! You've got all the good stuff!"

With a laugh, Madison looked around and returned the hug. "Thanks Jenna. You always know the right thing to say."


	3. The Maxwell Beach House

"MADDIE!"

Madison suddenly jumped up from her sleep when she heard the scream. Unfortunately, the ride was bumpy and the car jumped at the same time she woke up that she ended up bumping her head on the roof.

"Ow!" she exclaimed, unable to believe that her poor head had been suffering from her sudden movements two days in a row now.

"Maddie! Are you okay?" Drew asked, giving her worried glances. He was seated beside her, driving the car.

Dan Ginsburg, who was comfortably sitting at the back, was laughing hysterically.

"Not funny Dan," Madison growled, slowly realizing that he was the culprit for her dismay. She touched the part of her head with the bump and winced.

"You should have seen your face, Maddie," Dan guffawed.

Drew's worry was turned into a resistance to laugh along. His girlfriend's evil glare made him bit his lips.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily. She checked her watch and saw that it was already 8 in the morning.

Madison and Drew had drove to Far Hills and stayed in Madison's home for the night. It was surprising how Drew easily got comfortable in their house and quickly befriended her mom. Then at 6 in the morning, they met up with the others at 6 in the morning so they could all drive together to Spring Beach. Two more cars were following them with Fiona, Aimee and Egg on one and Hart, Vicky and Chet on the other.

Dan let out a low whistle, admiring the view. "Man, this is paradise!"

What Dan said made Madison look out the window. Passing by the "SPRING BREAK WELCOMES YOU" sign, a man who looked like a guard gave a salute at them. They drove along the narrow highway with every side surrounded by different kinds of trees, especially palm trees. Every now and then, they would see huge houses with themes that seemed to fit with the surroundings.

They passed by the beach with beautiful white sand and clear blue water. There were stores everywhere and a few people enjoying their day. But they were not just any people for Madison recognized some of them from television shows, movies and magazines.

"There are celebrities here?" she cried incredulously, staring at Drew.

He shrugged and gave Madison a quick glance. "Some of them prefer to unwind and relax here. But it's not really a hot spot for them."

She rolled her eyes, unable to believe that he's trying to be modest. After a few minutes of driving, they finally parked in front a magnificent three-storey white glass house which was just in front of the beach.

"This is so beautiful," Madison gushed as they finally stepped out of the car.

"It is amazing," Aimee agreed, standing beside her best friend.

The guys hooted and gave Drew a friendly pat as their sign of approval.

After admiring the Maxwell beach house, the troop finally went inside and brought in their stuff. They were greeted by Maria, the caretaker and Lilith, a young housekeeper sent by Drew's mother to do chores for them. They offered to carry their things but the guys still helped. There was more awing when they finally got inside and saw the polished and expensive-looking furniture.

"You know Maddie," Aimee whispered to Madison with a giggle, as they went to check the different rooms. "If ever you'll end up marrying Drew, tell him to live here."

"You're crazy!" Madison exclaimed, elbowing her friend while trying to hide her blushing face.

In the Maxwell beach house, there were two huge guest rooms, one master bedroom and the room for the housekeepers, all with their own bathrooms. There were also the game room at the top floor, the bar room which is connected to the dining room and an indoor pool with Jacuzzi. When deciding the room assignments, Dan offered to stay at the game room and Chet at the bar room. Finally, it was settled that the boys and girls be separated on the two guest rooms.

The group of friends was soon divided with Hart, Dan and Chet going to the game room. The four girls were all inside the room, all wanting to try out the beach except Madison who was still not in the mood to get wet.

"Come on, Maddie. We came here to have fun and soak in the sun! Don't you want to work on your tan?" Aimee said, looking at her reflection on the full length mirror. She flaunted her ballerina body with a black two piece bikini.

"Is it allowable to be tanned in Julliard?" Fiona teased while spreading sunscreen on her skin. She had on a blue tankini swimwear, showing her sporty body.

The door to the bathroom was instantly opened and Vicky went out laughing at Fiona's joke. She was sporting a one-shouldered black swimsuit.

"HA HA grandmothers!" Aimee said with a roll her eyes and looked at the two who were wearing less skimpy swimsuits. "Just because your boyfriends forbid you to flaunt your bods, that does not permit you to make fun of me."

"Oh, I'm just not really comfortable wearing stuff like that," Vicky admitted as she took the tube of sunscreen from the bed and started applying to herself.

"Well Walter is Mr. Jealous nowadays," Fiona groaned, shaking her head. "I don't want to start a fight again."

"He is Mr. Jealous since forever, F," Madison smirked.

There was a light tap on the door and Drew's head popped out. His eyes scanned the surroundings and grinned when they landed on Madison.

"I'm sorry girls but I think I'll have to steal Maddie for now," he smiled.

"Go ahead, Drew," Aimee replied with a toss of her blond hair. "That would be one less grandma in the room."

All the girls laughed at the confused expression on Drew's face. Happy to finally have the chance to be alone with her boyfriend, Madison went out and threw herself into Drew's arms.


	4. Someone from the past

Author's Note: Yeah so I was not able to update lately on the story because I just got the Madison Finn books that my godmother sent me… I was only able to read until the 19th book: Keep it Real before but since it's harder to find second hand Madison Finn books in the Philippines, I asked my godmother, who's living in the US, to order the rest of the books and ship it here! I'm so glad to finally finish the whole series so I'm hoping that my details on this fanfic will be more accurate… Plus, it's kind of harder to write now about Drew and Madison since the series was all about her and Hart… But I'll manage since I've got the plot all planned out now… :D

…..

It was only 9 in the morning but the sun was already up high and temperature was hot. Luckily, Madison was wearing a tank top and shorts to avoid any embarrassing sweaty moments. She and Drew were walking along the beach with their arms wrapped around each other.

"I want to show you my secret spot," he said excitedly, leading her to a more secluded area where there were more rocks and trees.

The route was just along the beach but the opening surrounded with trees that leads to it were indistinguishable, making it harder to notice that there's a rocky path leading elsewhere. With the sun covered by the trees, the humidity was cooler.

However, they saw a white van and a shiny, silver car parked along the course they were taking. Before Madison could read the print on the van, a sound of a gasp coming from Drew got her attention. She looked at him and saw panic in his eyes, his hands falling from her shoulders. She was about to ask what was wrong when he suddenly walked along the direction where the cables linked to the car were heading.

She followed him, trying to run now and to keep up with his long strides. They walked along a narrow pathway, sandwiched between trees which opened up into a beautiful meadow. But what surprised the two of them was the scene unfolding in the area.

"What the…" Drew muttered angrily, preventing himself to curse. He curled up his fist, as if wanting to punch someone.

There was a photo shoot going on at the middle of the meadow. Cameras and lighting equipment were scattered everywhere, with people shouting at one another. But everybody seemed to revolve around the blond model whose naked body was only covered by a piece of white blanket. The cameraman kept shouting "perfect!" for every pose she gave was breath-taking and dramatic.

"Drew…" was all Madison could utter when she recognized who the model was. It was the Ellie Mi. The model Ellie Mi. The one from the billboard they saw that made Drew react bitterly.

When the object of their attention finally noticed their arrival, her face lit. "Drew!" she cried. To Madison, it was more like a squeak.

The model hurriedly stood up, covering her body with the blanket. She approached a woman that looked like her assistant and took the bathrobe from her which she hastily wore.

"Drew!" Ellie Mi exclaimed again, a wide grin on her face as she ran towards them. She instantly threw her arms around Drew who just stood frozen.

There were many things that Madison could not believe seeing. First, she could not believe that Drew new the supermodel Ellie Mi. Second, she could not believe how beautiful she looked up close and how tall she was. Third, she could not believe this girl was hugging her boyfriend especially with her naked with just a bathrobe covering her. Who was she? How was she related to Drew?

Gently, Drew pushed Ellie away to break their hug. "What are you doing here?" he asked quietly.

The model was too excited to detect the ice in his voice. "I am having a photoshoot in our favorite place! Isn't it great? And then you come along so it's too perfect for words!"

"This is supposed to be a secret, remember?"

"Oh come on! That was like ages ago! We were younger then."

Finally feeling like an intruder, Madison was about to walk away but Drew pulled her to his side.

"El, remember Madison Finn?" he asked.

Ellie's eyes diverted to the brown-haired girl with curiosity. Then her eyes widened in amazement, giving a huge grin to Madison. "Oh gosh Madison! From Far Hills! Of course I remember you!"

Madison could not believe what she's hearing. Ellie Mi knew her? So it means she once knew Ellie, then? Does that mean…

"You knew her, Maddie," Drew whispered silently. "Except in a different persona. A different name."

No, Madison thought. The only person I can think of that was related to Drew once… That was not one of her classmates…

"It's me! Elaine Minami!"

The name mentioned was like an echo ringing at Madison's ears. It was as if the words were growing louder, bigger about to eat her up. Her stomach was churning, as if riding a roller coaster. Her heart was burning, as if suddenly caught on fire. The feelings she felt when she saw Hart with Vicky were starting to sink in again. Except this was much MUCH worse. Much more painful. As if it was about to swallow her. She could not believe it. She did not want to believe it.

The soft touch of Drew brought Madison back to reality. She tried to compose herself and glanced at the goddess-like person in front of her who was once Elaine Minami. But looking at her features from her blond hair to her statuesque build, she could not see in there in the little Elaine Minami she once knew.

"Oh hi!" Madison finally responded, her voice too high than normal. "I did not recognize you at all."

"Of course you won't," Drew said softly, wrapping his arms around her.

Ellie saw it all but her smile did not quiver. But there was an unfazed look in her eyes as she stared at the couple in front of her. "I changed my name into Ellie Mi when I entered the modelling world. It has more edge as what my agent had said."

His grasped tightened around Madison, which made her feel that there's more to it than what the girl was saying.

"Ellie!" someone from the crew shouted that made the three youths look around. "You've got to finish your shoot soon, darling. Talk to your friends later!"

Ellie's flawless face turned apologetic. "I'm really sorry. I will just finish this and I'll come by your place. You're staying at the glass house, right?"

Madison felt a stab when she heard that. And of course Elaine/Ellie knew about the place. How much does she know about Drew?

"Yes," Drew sighed. "We have some friends over."

"I'll come by soon."

It was the phrase that Madison dreaded to hear from the perfect lips of the perfect girl.


	5. Who's Ellie Mi?

"Ellie Mi is Elaine Minami!" Madison yelled for the nth time, as if chanting.

She and Drew were on their way back to the house. Her attempt to run away from him was failing since he could easily catch up with her.

"WAS!" he argued again and again.

When Madison finally caught sight of the glass house, she paused. Shame compelled her from approaching the one place that she thought would make her summer enjoyable. She could not take to look at the beautiful structure that she had to look away where her eyes landed to the beach, the next spot she dreamed of having wonderful memories.

Taking advantage of her lack of resistance, Drew held Madison on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. She ended up looking away. "Maddie, look at me," he begged.

"There's no point in arguing, Drew!" she cried, pushing him away. "I understand now why you did not want to talk to about Elaine whenever I try to bring her up. And… when we saw her billboard… oh god that was just yesterday! And you said it was nothing-!"

"It was really nothing, Maddie! She's nothing to me anymore! It was over between me and Elaine! Did you not see that on how I talked to her?"

Madison stopped struggling, and glared at him. "What I saw was bitterness. Clearly, you're still not over her."

"That's not true. I was angry at her and I still am."

"Are you kidding me? Didn't you know that the opposite of love is not hate? It is indifference! The fact that you have any strong feelings over her means that you still love her!"

Drew was already laughing when Madison started the love-hate statement. "You are so cute when you're angry," he said, trying to pinch her nose.

She pushed his hands away. "Don't you dare act cute to me! I'm angry, okay?" but a smile was already starting to appear on her face.

He did not miss her attempt not to smile. He slowly wrapped her into an embrace and he was relieved that she did not break away. "I was really angry because it was supposed to be a secret place and yet she told those people about it," he explained.

"So it was a secret place between you and Elaine?" she asked sullenly.

"No. It was my secret place. She just followed me there when her family also had vacation here."

A brief silence swept over them as they just hugged each other.

"Did something magical happen there?" she inquired, obvious in her voice that she's afraid to hear the answer.

He smiled. "Yes."

Madison threatened to pull away but he held still.

"Not between me and her. But just with me," he grinned. "That's where I realized that I like you and I have to ask you to the junior high dance."

She pushed away, not to fight him off but to look at his face. "And I was stupid enough to reject you," she pouted.

Drew chuckled. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore since you're completely mine now," he said, contentedly. "And you're even feeling jealous over some girl."

Madison jokingly glared at her boyfriend and smacked his arm playfully. She then wrapped her arms around his as they finally headed to the house.

"I didn't recognize her at all. She looked very different. I never thought a girl could mature that much," she admitted.

Drew sighed. "Welcome to 21st century, Maddie," he said sarcastically. "Where technology is so advance especially when it comes to cosmetics. Breast augmentation, nose job, liposuction, face lift… you name it! She even dyed her hair blond just she would not look like her old self. "

"That's terrible!"

"Yeah, she despised herself too much that she even changed her name, hoping to change how people see her. So she's no longer Elaine Minami but Ellie Mi. It was hard for her to introduce her old self to you earlier."

"Why does she hate herself?"

"Insecurities, Maddie. A lot of people tease her that she's ugly. Even her parents act as if she loves them less than their other children. She was a sad kid."

Stopping by the porch, Madison faced Drew curiously. "And you know this because…?" she asked.

"We were going out until we were 15. That's when she decided to turn her life around which she thought is for the better. It did seem like she's enjoying her life now."

Before Drew could elaborate more on Ellie Mi's story, the door suddenly opened and Maria came out. "Mr. Maxwell, your meal is ready."


	6. Parasailing

Madison sat in front of her laptop, thinking on how to start her journal. But the thoughts just would not come. She stared at the screen, unable to believe she's having that crisis again not knowing what to write.

Trying another comfortable position, she went from sitting with her legs stretched out into cross legs with the computer placed on her lap. She sighed, forcing herself to think of what to say. It's frustrating to her that this should be effortless and fun but it seems that the opposite is happening.

There was a knock on the door and the three female friends went inside, all chatting excitedly.

"Let's go, Maddie! We're going parasailing!" Aimee said cheerfully, jumping to the bed and throwing her arm around Madison.

"The others want to go ride the Jet Ski," Fiona added, standing beside Madison. "It's up to you what you want to do. Then again, we still have a week to try everything in this paradise."

"I so can't wait to go snorkeling!" Vicky gushed, sitting on the other side.

In silence, Madison closed her laptop. She could feel the gaze of her three friends on her, as if they could easily read what she was thinking. Of course, they were not fooled when Drew announced while they were eating breakfast about the inclusion of a certain supermodel in their vacation. Since everybody except Vicky knew about Ellie Mi when they were younger, it was not really much a big deal especially to the boys. Their only concern was the fact that a celebrity was coming over to spend some days with them. But for Aimee, Fiona and Vicky, it was not hard for them to miss that the girlfriend of the host did not utter a word on them regarding the matter.

"Oh no, Maddie," Aimee said, shaking her head. "I'm so not letting you sulk alone in this room when we should have been having the time of our lives."

"Well of course you wouldn't understand, Aim! You didn't see how perfect she looked and how she was all over Drew!" Madison argued with a huff.

"Maddie," Fiona said gently. "I think you're imagining things. Did Drew know about this?"

"Yes," Madison sniffed.

"What did he say?"

Madison pouted. "He assured me that he and Ellie were already over. And he no longer felt anything for her. That there's nothing that I should worry about."

"Then you should listen to him," Vicky smiled. "Drew is one of those sincere guys I've met. Trust me. No goddess could ever take away his craziness over you."

With a groan, Madison finally stood up and placed her laptop to the table. "I know that whatever you're saying is right. I can't help being so pathetically jealous."

Fiona grinned. "At least don't go down the road of Egg's jealousy, all right?"

The four friends laughed as they prepared for their plans to do that day.

Everybody from the troop had decided to go along with the parasailing. They walked along the water, laughing and teasing each other, as they approached a stand surrounded by jet skis, banana boats, speed boats and all kinds of motor sports equipment for recreational activities. A very tanned, muscular guy wearing chinos greeted them with a wide smile, showing his straight white teeth. He introduced himself as Jose, one of the speed boat drivers.

Aimee, who was walking alongside Madison and Drew giggled. "He's hot," she whispered to her friend.

After settling with the rates, they have all decided to split up into two boats with the group of Madison, Drew, Egg, Fiona and Aimee, who didn't mind being the fifth wheel since the hot guy he saw will be riding with them. The other group consists of Chet, Dan, Hart and Vicky.

"Yo!" Egg called out, who was the first to hop into the boat. "Isn't that Ellie Mi?"

Everyone looked around and followed the direction he was pointing. Madison's stomach did a flip when she saw the statuesque blond running towards them in a yellow sundress. Almost all male attention was suddenly reverted at the approaching beauty who seemed like shooting a scene from a movie.

"Hi guys!" the new arrival greeted enthusiastically with a wave of her hand.

A chorus of quiet hellos were returned, as if her presence had cause them to be tongue-tied.

"That's Elaine Minami now?" Fiona muttered, loud enough to be heard by everyone in the boat but soft enough not to be of the model's earshot as she was helped by Jose to step inside the boat.

Of course, Ellie chose the boat where Drew was seated. "Drew!" she squeaked and instantly sat beside him who has already positioned himself near the driver's seat. "I hope you don't mind me joining in."

"Sure. You're most certainly welcome to join us," Egg responded. He flinched and looked at Fiona, who was looking back at him with a glare.

With disbelief, Madison chose to sit beside Aimee who was on the other side, seated beside Fiona and Egg. What was hard for her to see was that the two persons in front of her easily got into a conversation. Just a moment ago, Drew was mad at Ellie for exposing his secret place and now they're talking like old friends.

"Yeah, I think your mom mentioned to me that you and your friends are coming here but it kind of slipped my mind since I had too much work this week," Ellie was saying while Drew nodded as he listened to what she was saying.

Madison pretended to be indifferent of the whole situation but she could feel Aimee's gaze on her.

The boat started moving to get at a farther spot from the shore. When they were finally a good distance away from the shallow part, Jose said that two could already ride the parachute.

"We'll go first," Madison spoke up, holding Aimee by her wrist.

Her ballerina friend looked at her as if she had grown another head, and pulled away. "Um, I thought I made it clear that I'll only be tagging along but I am not riding that thing. I only came because of, you know." She tilted her head towards Jose.

"What?"

Ellie suddenly stood up. "Drew and I will go first then," she said, as if to clear things up.

"What?" It was Aimee who said it now. "Don't you think that it's a little wrong given the fact that Drew is supposed to go with Maddie since, I don't know, they're a couple?"

"As far as I can tell she wants to ride with you, Aimee," Ellie said matter-of-factly. "Besides, it's just parasailing. You wouldn't be putting any malicious meaning to this little recreational activity, right?"

Madison closed her eyes and sighed. "Look, go ahead. I don't mind."

"I think I'll ride with, Maddie," Drew intervened.

"I said, I don't mind. Now go."

It was such a firm statement that made Drew hush up. He looked at his girlfriend, as if searching on her face what she really wanted. She did not show any emotion at all and just shrugged. Finally, he stood up and followed Ellie.

When the two were finally on the air, Egg leaned down towards the three girls. "That is so Junior High. I cannot believe how immature you acted. It's just parasailing for goodness' sake. It's not like they're going to get married."

"I bet you'll act differently if it's Fiona and another guy who's up there now, right?" Aimee said slyly.

That made Egg shut up.


	7. Shake and Smoothie

"Have I ever told you how cute you look in your swimsuit?" Drew murmured in Madison's ears.

"Whatever," she said, looking down at her simple orange two piece bathing suit. But inside, she did feel flattered and happy that at last, she's having her boyfriend all to herself.

After the parasailing activity, they all had headed back to the house for lunch and chilled out by the porch, just talking about their childhood days. But it was already afternoon and the group had dispersed into doing their own things. Drew convinced Madison to sneak out and try out his favorite smoothie stand.

They were seated on one of the tables nearby with an umbrella to cover them from the heat.

Madison lifted her sunglasses to her head and sipped on her glass of chocolate shake. She could not take her eyes off her boyfriend in a white shirt and beach shorts who was giving her a loving look. Somehow, she's relieved that Ellie had to go for a while since her agent was looking for her.

"Hey there!"

This can't be happening, Madison thought with a groan as she looked around and saw the approaching figure that's too familiar to her already.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Ellie said, smiling.

"We're actually kind of having a private moment here," Drew responded with a little annoyance in his voice.

Hearing his statement made Madison a little embarrassed for the girl. "No it's okay, we're just having shakes and smoothie."

She resisted from saying 'would you like to join us?' just so Ellie could at least get that they do not want to be interrupted in a subtle and nice way.

"Oh my favorite!" Ellie exclaimed. "I'm going to order mine. Well, I'm supposed to be on diet but what the heck, just this once."

With the model completely out of earshot, Madison gave Drew a knowing look who shrugged.

"I didn't know it was her favorite too," he explained, apparently guessing his girlfriend's thoughts. "And you didn't have to be so inviting to her."

"Well there's nothing I can do now since you decided to invite your _old friend _to our vacation. I wouldn't want to be rude to her, would I?" she answered with acid in her voice.

His mouth was set on a grim line as if he wanted to argue more but decided against it.

Sensing what 's about to happen, Madison stood up. "Drew, I think I'll go back to the house," she said.

"Maddie…" Drew said softly. "Are you having a wild imagination again?"

A sigh escaped from her mouth, easily understanding what he meant. But she shrugged it off and gave him a shaky smile. "Look, I know things had not been really great with you and Ellie. Maybe this is the time to work things out and leave the past behind."

Somehow, she knew that she did the feel that there really was that necessity for the former couple to tie up all the loose ends. But a part of her was scared on how that may affect on relationship with Drew.

Drew stood up with a gentle smile on her face. He came closer to Madison and slowly wrapped his arms around her. She hugged back.

"I'm so lucky to have such an understanding girlfriend like you," he murmured, kissing her forehead.

She felt like melting with how sincere his voice was when he said it. When she saw Ellie returning to their table, she finally pulled away, she gave him a last reassuring smile and walked away.

As the distance between her and Drew lengthened, a sudden dread slowly overpowered her. It was a fear of the possibility that she may lose him. But then she reminded herself that she should trust him. And she did trust him so there should nothing to be afraid of.

A genuine smile was gradually creeping back to her face, as she walked along the sandy path along the house. She gazed by the water, the soft waves and the blueness of it giving her the sense of calm that she needed.

When her glance caught the figure of the glass house, her eyes did not miss the two figures by the porch: a slender woman who was definitely Aimee and the muscular male was most probably Jose. They seemed to be laughing and it was obvious that Aimee was putting all her charms. After some time, Jose seemed to be leaving with Aimee waving her hand.

"Ola," the Mexican greeted with a salute as he passed by Madison.

The brown-haired girl returned her attention to her blond friend who was squirming from giddiness.

"So I see you're out to catch some fish in the sea," Madison teased.

Aimee rolled her eyes. "So I see some other fisherman stole your fish from you," she countered which made her friend frown. "Oh lighten up, I'm just kidding. It's just surprising to see you alone."

Madison shrugged. "You got me. I left Drew with Ellie."

"What? Why did you do that?"

"Just so they could patch up all the bitterness and all."

"Well, I hope that's all they'll have to patch up."

With a roll of her eyes, Madison headed inside the house. But before she could get inside, an unexpected form went out of the door that made the two friends jaw drop.

"Lindsay?"

"Surprise!" the new comer greeted with a wide smile on her face.

It was surprising how much Lindsay Frost had changed ever since they all departed for college. She had lost weight and her hair was cut short. To the four friends, Lindsay had been the one who was seldom present in their reunions.

"You look great!" Madison gushed, hugging her friend.

As Lindsay pulled away from their hug, the sudden worry was evident on her face. "I know we should be catching up now but you've got to come with me."

The three girls hurriedly went inside, with Lindsay on the lead. They went up towards the girl's room. Upon opening the door, they were surprised to see Fiona sobbing on Vicky's shoulder.


	8. The Twins War

"What happened?" Madison asked as they all approached their crying friend.

"She and Chet had a terrible fight earlier," Vicky explained, rubbing the back of Fiona.

"What? Why?" Aimee demanded.

Fiona looked up, her face tear-stricken. "I don't even remember how it all started! All I could recall is that we just started shouting at each other."

"Well, I saw it happened," Lindsay said sheepishly. "It was pretty terrible. I just got inside, hoping to surprise all of you when Chet saw me. We started talking and I think he's starting to get a little flirty which is pretty weird. Then Fiona and Egg suddenly came in, Fiona saw what Chet was trying to do and… well…"

"I overreacted, okay?" Fiona cried. "But I was sooooo mad when I saw Chet flirting with another girl that I did not even notice that it was Lindsay. All I remember was my sight getting red and I ended up shouting at that doofus."

"Egg was there, right? What did he do?" Aimee inquired.

Fiona bowed down, letting her braided hair fall over her face. "I don't even remember. I wasn't even aware of anyone anymore then," she admitted.

"He tried stopping the fight," Lindsay helped. "He's actually with Chet now, trying to talk to him."

Silence fell over them as the sound that could be heard was Fiona's sniffing.

"Have you tried talking to him, Fiona?" Madison asked quietly. "I mean talk, not shout."

"No," Fiona croaked. "We never really had that kind of relationship, did we? Even if he's my twin brother, I really can't stand him. I don't think I could ever talk to him."

"Maybe everything's different now," Madison hoped. "After all these years, maybe it's time to patch things up with him."

Aimee sighed. "Everything was a lot easier when Madhur was still with him," she commented.

She was talking about Madhur Singh, their friend from Punjab who used to kind of go out with Chet. But when they reached High School, the Singh family had decided to go back to their real hometown without actually telling anyone. Everybody was so bummed out especially Chet who changed for the worse, much to Fiona's dismay. He had become nastier and much more difficult to deal with.

"Anyway, let's forget about it, okay?" Fiona sniffed. "I totally don't want to ruin our summer because of my stupid brother."

Just like that, the mood was suddenly lifted as Lindsay was introduced to Vicky. Madison had forgotten that they still had not really known each other except through her stories. Surprisingly, Vicky easily got acquainted with every one of them. Madison was not surprised since she knew that her ex-keypal had always been nice and friendly to everybody.

"So you won't believe this," Aimee was gabbing. "Remember Elaine Minami?"

Madison groaned when they started talking about that one subject she would not dare to touch. But it really was such news about the whole supermodel thing.

"Oh yes she used to go out with Drew," Lindsay nodded with a quick glance at Madison.

"She's Ellie Mi!" Aimee cried, as if unable to believe herself.

Lindsay's eyes grew wider. "Seriously? As in the supermodel? But they look so different."

"I know, right? She must have really bloomed or something," Fiona agreed.

Vicky sighed. "Ever heard of plastic surgery, girls?"

Almost everybody's jaw dropped when she said that except for Madison and Vicky. It seemed that they had already fallen into that conclusion when they first saw Ellie. Their differences were so extreme that medical enhancements were very easy to put into the equation, added with the fact that Ellie's family has always been known to be well-off.

"It is possible but hard to imagine given that Elaine was very sweet back then," Fiona frowned.

"So what?" Aimee shrugged. "It's just plastic surgery. There's nothing wrong about it. Everybody's doing it these days especially celebs."

Lindsay looked shocked. "Even you Aim?"

The blond ballerina rolled her eyes. "Everybody who's ugly. And I'm not."

All the girls laughed at the joke and Madison felt her mood lifting up. She kept her mouth shut when talking about Ellie and was glad when the subject was changed. Lindsay suggested to go swimming again and all of them agreed. Since everyone was still wearing their swimsuits, they just waited for the new arrival to change.

Madison went out of them room to get something to drink. Vicky decided to tag along and the two linked their arms as they made their way to the kitchen.

"How are you holding up?" Vicky asked as she grabbed two clean glasses from the metal drawer.

Madison scrunched her nose, peaking inside the humungous refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of orange juice. "I'm fine," she said, though she sounded very un-fine.

Suddenly, Vicky threw one arm around Madison's shoulders and started pouring drinks for the two of them.

"You're so predictable, you know that?" Vicky giggled. "It's so obvious you're stressing out over Ellie and Drew. You know that Drew is so in love with you, right?"

That made Madison blush. Everybody's been telling her that but she still could not shake away this bad feeling since Drew was Ellie's boyfriend first and they go way back unlike Madison who even swore to herself that she will never EVER see Drew as someone crushable.

Vicky slowly drank her OJ. "It kind of reminded me when Hart told me that you're in Penn too," she admitted with a sheepish grin. "The very first thing that I felt was fear because I knew you and Hart were a couple before and I remember you emailing me about that he's for keeps and all that. I mean, you two knew each other longer. So I was scared that I might lose him as my boyfriend and I might lose you as my friend. I mean I did mess up before when I just stopped getting in touch so I was really scared of the grim possibilities."

Madison could not believe that her friend totally get what she's feeling. But she was still scared to say something so she just slurped on her juice.

"Everything will fall back into proper place, Maddie," Vicky assured her with a tap on her back. "There might be a little drama now and then but that's what makes life interesting. And if Drew really is this nice guy I've always known, he won't hurt you."

"I know he won't hurt me," Madison nodded. "I just can't help being a little paranoid. I mean, seeing them together, they're like a perfect couple. And that's a very scary thought."

"Maddie," Vicky said with a roll of her eyes. "You're just saying that because you don't see how perfect you and Drew look together."

A smile appeared on Madison's face. "Thanks Vicky. You always know what to say."

Vicky laughed as she placed the two empty glasses on the sink. "It's nothing. We were very sure that you're freaking out inside though you act cool and all. Aimee even said that she's pretty sure you're imagining some random things going on between Drew and Ellie."

"Well, I just left them together by the smoothie stand," Madison admitted as the two get back to the room.

"And whose fault is that?"

The brown-haired girl sighed. "Mine."

As soon as the girls' room door was opened, the other three were already running out of the room.

"I'm so psyched!" Lindsay squealed. "Let's go swimming!"


	9. THE PAPPARAZZI

For more than an hour, the five female friends got themselves wet and enjoyed the natural, warm water of the sea. The temperature was cool enough for them to dip longer and soon they were joined by the guys.

Egg instantly splashed Fiona and she squealed, playing along. Dan seemed to brighten up that Lindsay came and they also paired up. They were never really a couple even before then but they had always been extra friendly to each other. Hart, Vicky, Chet and Aimee were huddled together, talking and laughing.

Everybody was by the water but Madison had decided to get away from the riot for a while and sit on the sand. She watched her friends play and joke around like kids, feeling somehow contented. A set of strong arms wrapped around her and she did not have to look around to see who it was.

"Hey there," Drew said huskily, sitting down beside her girlfriend with his arms still wrapped tightly around her.

Madison sighed happily and leaned on his bare chest and her arms around his waist. "I missed you," she admitted.

"You did?" he chuckled.

She looked up at his brown eyes and pouted. "Of course."

The two stared at each other for a few seconds but it felt years or even longer to Madison. Drew slowly leaned closer to her face and Madison closed her eyes, ready for the kiss when she felt something thrown out them.

Before they could react, a sound of laughter erupted as Madison looked at her body which was now covered with wet sand. Her eyes met Drew's, whose face was also covered with mud. They shared a look, understanding each other's thoughts and they instantly stood up to get back to their friends.

"I'm so getting you for that!" Madison cried as she grabbed a whole lot of sand and threw it towards Egg who was laughing hysterically.

The friends laughed and ran around, throwing sand at each other. Aimee squealed in protest when Fiona and Madison dumped a whole lot on her blond hair.

"You are so dead!" Aimee exclaimed, splatting both Fiona and Madison.

Dan and Lindsay started building a sand castle and the others the mud fight to help. They tried to make it as high as possible but it kept falling. Then Hart lied down as Vicky, Fiona, Aimee, Lindsay and Madison giggled while covering him with mud.

"So where is the supermodel?" Chet suddenly asked.

Madison quickly had her eyes on Drew who met hers. She saw him shrug as if he did not care.

"Being a supermodel I guess," he said then his face brightened. "Oh yeah, Ellie invited everyone to this exclusive bar. It was only for VIPs but with her status…"

His voice trailed off without having to add anything but everyone seemed to get excited except for Madison. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach even though she knew she didn't have to overreact again on things like this.

"We can go tonight, then?" Aimee asked, her eyes shining.

Drew nodded. Aimee shrieked and started gabbing with Fiona and Vicky what they're planning to wear.

With a silent groan, Madison covered her face with her hands, not caring that they're all muddy. She understood why Aimee was very excited about this since a bar means dancing. And what's not to be thrilled about getting invited in a bar for VIPs which will surely be filled with very important people like maybe hot celebrities? And of course there is a possibility for the friends to meet maybe some famous people because of Ellie Mi.

After the swim, the troop had went back to the house to get themselves cleaned off since not all the mud were washed off during the swim. Aimee, whose hair still got mud, was rumbling about not going to look perfect for that night.

Despite Madison's sour mood when she found out about, in her opinion, another Ellie Mi scheme to steal her boyfriend. Drew was actually nicer than nice and very sweet the whole time after he broke the news. Because of this, she started to get excited over the prospect of spending more time with him and her friends though she would not even admit it to herself.

The female room was soon covered with piles of clothing and chattering women on what they should wear. Dan actually poked his head inside to tell them that their voices could practically be heard outside. But the noise did not disperse and so Dan decided to leave the crazy girls with a roll of his eyes, jokingly told the lot that he's going to warn the other guys to put on some earplugs.

After about 3 hours of preparation, they were all ready. Aimee was wearing a red halter dress with a plush velvet spandex bodice and a tapered matte jersey skirt with a pair of silver flats that look like ballet shoes. Her hair was pulled up into a bun that made her really look like a professional dancer. She was sure to flaunt her moves later on in the dance floor.

Fiona had put on a white long-sleeved tunic dress with sequined embellishments around the neckline and paired it with stylish brown cowboy boots. Her usual braided her was pulled up.

Lindsay flaunts her new slimmer body with a simple black off-shoulder dress with her skirt hanging by her knees. Her look was completed with black and white pumps and with her short hair blown dry to add more volume.

Vicky had on a plain yellow dress shirt with a black belt accentuating her waist and black flats. Her long blond hair was pulled up into a half pony with a crystalized butterfly which she claimed to be a gift from Hart.

Madison had the simplest outfit of a gray banded tunic dress and brown strappy sandals. She did not really enjoy getting dressed even with her best friends especially when she was sure that she will look plain simple next to Ms. Perfect Ellie Mi. With the help of her girlfriends, her long brown hair was then braided by Aimee.

Finally, they were ready to go. As soon as they got out into the living room, all the guys pretended to be asleep until Fiona poked Egg on his nose. He instantly woke (since he was not really sleeping) and complimented his girlfriend. The other guys laughed and started leaving.

"Where's Drew?" Madison asked as she looked around for her boyfriend.

"Present!" Drew quipped, popping out from the kitchen.

Madison could not help gushing at how good he looks in his white polo shirt and beach shorts. His tan was almost matched to hers but she had to admit he looked way better. When he threw his arms around her, she tiptoed and gave him a quick but deep kiss.

"What was that for?" he asked, grinning.

"What was that not for?" she smiled back.

It was a 10-minute drive going to the bar with Drew being followed by Egg's and Hart's cars. Upon reaching the destination, they were surprised to find that the place was filled with so many sleek cars that seemed to belong to very rich people.

Ironically, the name of the bar was THE PAPPARAZZI. The place was filled with different colored neon lights shaped into cameras and a shape of a woman, surrounding the name of the bar. A hip-hop beat could be heard outside with the sound becoming louder as the friends one by one hopped out of their cars and approached the entrance.

Everyone was surprised to see that there was a long line waiting outside.

"Should we fall in line too?" Madison whispered to Drew.

Without answering, Drew approached one of the two bouncers. She watched as he talked to them, ignoring the loud discussion of her friends with the possibility that they might not be able to get inside. The large muscled man Drew was talking to, glanced down at his list and then nodded. Madison took it as a good sign.

With a relieved look on his face, Drew motioned for them to come as the bouncer let them inside. Madison could hear the people in line groaning. Somehow, she felt a little satisfaction that she and her friends were considered as VIPs even though it was because of Ellie Mi.

It was dark inside but packed with lots of people as the troop squeezed themselves toward the crowd. It was easy to get into the mood of partying with the playful disco lights and booming sounds.

"Drew!" someone squealed from the noise and Madison did not have to look to figure out who it was.

Ellie Mi walked towards them looking perfect than ever. Her long brown-blond hair was pulled up into a pony and she's wearing a red tube dress that shows her model figure. She even looked taller because of the three-inched white shoes that she's wearing. To Madison's dismay, Ellie's height was just perfect for Drew's tall frame.

"This place rocks!" Lindsay cried. "I'm Lindsay by the way. Remember me back in Far Hills?"

"Of course!" Ellie replied with a huge grin on her face.

With Ellie on the lead, they easily found a table with a soft cushion for them. But as soon as they all sat down, someone that looked like a celebrity approached the table and asked Aimee to dance. Being such a dance lover, she obliged as she held the hand of the guy with a flirtatious look. Hart asked Vicky to dance and the same for Dan and Lindsay. The two couples easily blended with the crowd.

"Drew! You should come with me! I'd love to introduce you to some of my friends!" Ellie squeaked, pulling Drew by his arms.

"Um," he mumbled, looking at Madison. "I think I'd rather stay here… with Madison…"

"Maddie can come!"

Trying not to roll her eyes, Madison gave both of them a smile. "Go ahead. I think I'll hang out with Fiona for now."

"Are you sure?" Drew asked in a low voice.

"No prob," Madison smiled.

Drew stared at her for a moment, checking her expression. But Madison did not dare give away what she was really feeling. With a nod, he gave a peck to her and had let Ellie drag him.

Of course, Madison followed Drew and Ellie with her eyes. Ellie led him to different people with her arms wrapped around his arm. If she didn't know better, people could easily mistake them as a couple. A PERFECT couple. Despite Vicky's comforting words earlier, she knew that what she's seeing was real.

As if unable to bear the sight any longer, Madison looked around and decided to focus on her friend, Fiona. But she was surprised to see that Fiona, Chet and Egg were already huddled together, talking seriously with each other. It seemed that the twins were finally patching and Madison did not want to intrude.

With the waiter giving her order of a martini, her eyes scanned the crowd and she saw Vicky and Hart dancing happily together. The same goes for Dan and Lindsay who can't seem to get their eyes from each other. Aimee was having a blast being the center of attention, looking good in her dress as she danced around with several great dancers as well. One of them started leading her to a hot salsa along with the sudden Mexican tune.

The night did not turn out the way Madison wanted it to be. She finished her martini and asked for another. Then another. And another.


	10. Hangover

Madison sluggishly opened her eyes and instantly squinted from the ray of the sun.

_Where am I? _was the first thing that came to her mind. Slowly adjusting to the brightness, she realized that she was facing a huge window covered with an opaque blue curtain. Surprised with the unfamiliarity of the place, she quickly sat up which was a really wrong move.

Madison's vision started to spin and she felt an aching pain on her head. In response, she covered her face and cried in pain.

"Maddie?"

There was an abrupt movement beside her but she could not even look up because she was too nauseous.

"Are you okay?" It was Drew. "Do you need anything? Are you feeling dizzy? Do you want water?"

With some of the wooziness dispersing, Madison looked around her and it slowly dawned to her that she was in the master bedroom of the Maxwell beach house. She looked down at herself and was surprised to see that she was still wearing that gray dress she had on last night and she smelled really bad.

"What happened to me?" she asked, glancing at her boyfriend.

Drew was looking at her with a worried expression. He tried wrapping his arms around Madison but she pushed him away.

"Eek, Drew! I smell bad!" she protested. "I must have puked or something! What happened?"

With a roll of his eyes, he jumped out of the bed. "I'll get you some aspirin and a glass of water," he said as he left the room.

Still feeling confused, she looked around for the second time and saw on the wall clock that it was already 11 in the morning. _What happened? _She asked herself again, trying to remember what she did last night.

All she could remember was that Ellie Mi dragging Drew to meet her friends... Lindsay and Dan and Hart and Vicky dancing… Aimee dancing… Fiona, Chet and Egg talking… Then she ordered a martini… And she couldn't stop herself from ordering… Again and again… And drinking…

A blush crept on Madison's face as it came to her what she did. Suddenly, the door burst open and all her female friends came in, with the same worried expression that Drew had on.

"Omigod Maddie! Are you okay?" Aimee asked, sitting beside Madison.

Lindsay scrunched her nose. "Maybe you should take a shower, Maddie."

"We did not know you were that depressed, Maddie," Vicky added.

"Depressed?" Madison asked, looking confused. What are they talking about?

"I'm so SO sorry I was not paying attention," Fiona said, looking guilty. "I was the one nearest to you."

"Oh god what did I do?" Madison asked, looking at the faces of her girlfriends.

"Well, Chet, Egg and I were talking when we heard a sound of someone falling," Fiona started. "And it was you Maddie, you just fell on the floor and we all freaked out. We were scared that something serious might have happened to you. Then we smell liquor and Egg said you were just drunk."

"Then Hart and I came over to sit down for a while and we were so surprised to see you passed out, Maddie," Vicky added. "And then you started crying…"

"What? I cried?" Madison asked incredulously. Then she started feeling ashamed of herself with what possible things she had done. Or said. "Did I say anything?"

Her friends looked at each other as if waiting who would tell her the truth. There was a knock on the door and Drew went in, carrying a tray of a big plate of waffles and egg with a glass of water. There was also a tablet of aspirin on the plate.

"Room service for the sleepyhead," he quipped with a low voice.

"Uh… Thanks Drew," Madison said silently.

She watched him as he placed the tray with the stand on her lap.

"So what's our plan for today?" Aimee asked, her voice shifting to being cheerful. "I want to go snorkelling! Do you guys want to go snorkelling?"

"That would be great!" Fiona agreed, playing along.

"Can Maddie go snorkelling?" Lindsay asked cautiously.

"Sure I can," Madison smiled.

"Great! Just finish breakfast-er-brunch. And we'll be going," Aimee grinned.

The girls scooted away from the bed, said goodbye and left the room. The stillness in the room was too much for Madison. She could not even look at Drew straight into his eyes.

"I must have done something terrible last night," she frowned, staring at the meal placed in front of her. Though the waffles look delicious, she did not have the appetite to eat.

"I'm not mad with what you did," he said quietly. "I'm just worried."

"Nobody wants to tell me what I did last night but contrary to your belief, I cannot remember what I did," she complained, tossing up her hands.

"Can you just forget about it?" he pleaded.

"No!"

The two glared at each other. It was like a staring battle and in the end; it was Drew who gave up.

"Fine," he declared. "Why didn't you tell me you're that angry at El?"

_El, _Madison thought with a roll of her eyes. She could not believe he still call him that nickname even now that they're no longer going out.

"You did not have to shout at her and curse her," he added, sounding annoyed.

"I did what?" she asked, her eyes growing wide. "What did I say?"

"Words I would never EVER imagine you saying if you were sane," he sighed with his eyes closed. Worry lines were appearing on his forehead and Madison did not like seeing him like this.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, feeling embarrassed. She must have caused a scene in the bar, yelling at that person who graciously invited them into the exclusive place. That was definitely not an acceptable attitude.

"Aw Maddie it's not to me that you should be apologizing," he said gently, enveloping his arm around her waist.

"I just got scared that I might lose you, you know," she admitted. "Since your first love suddenly just marched into our lives looking like this beautiful goddess. And you two looked so compatible together, having the same social status. You two were like two puzzles that easily fitted together and I felt so self-conscious."

A smile broke on Drew's face. "My baby got jealous," he teased, pinching Madison's nose.

The tension between them gradually dispersed but the uneasiness on Drew's face was still visible.

"So how did she react?" she asked, afraid to hear the answer.

Drew seemed to be thinking about it carefully. "It looks like she took it well. But there's something very complicated about El. And I'm worried."

Madison did not like the fact that her boyfriend is concerned about another girl. Especially that the girl was someone he used to like. But maybe she was starting to be this jealous, clingy girl who's acting like she did not trust her boyfriend. And that's not a good thing to their relationship.

Feeling the guilt over her immature actions, Madison came up with a great solution to the damage she had done. "Could you bring me to where Ellie is staying now? I want to apologize to her about what I did."

"Sure," he replied, kissing the top of her head. "But you really should eat your brunch first and take a shower. Even though I love you, you kind of stink, hon."

Madison elbowed him as the two laughed.

It was already around 1:30 in the afternoon when Madison was finally showered and stink-free. It also helped her hangover to disappear even just for a little bit. Due to the sudden decision she made of making up with Ellie, she could no longer come snorkelling with her friends.

The couple drove along the same road that they took when they first arrived in Spring Break. The ride was a silent one with Madison's eyes on the surroundings. But her attention was not fully into sightseeing for she was trying to formulate on what she would say to Ellie Mi.

Unfortunately, it was just a very quick drive so Madison did not have enough to think about her speech. They parked in front of the Greek-looking hotel and Drew gave his keys for valet service. Hand in hand, they entered the small but cozy hotel.

"Olivia said that Ellie had never left her room ever since last night," Drew whispered to her.

His hand was on the ball of her back as he led her into the elevator. As if on cue, the huge elevator opened for them and they instantly went inside with Drew pressing 4.

"And who is Olivia?" she asked.

"Her agent and godmother."

"Oh."

The door soon opened up for them and they walked along the carpeted floor with fake torches hanging on the wall that serve as the light. Madison also noticed that framed photos of gladiators in black and white were being displayed as she followed Drew. When they reached room 408, he stopped and rang the doorbell.

There was a silence as they waited for the door to be opened. But they could not hear a sound from inside. Drew kept ringing for a few more minutes but there was no response at all.

"Maybe she's not in," Madison suggested, squeezing his hands.

"No, Olivia said she's here," he answered and there was an edginess on his voice.

With a flourish, Drew pulled out his phone and called someone. His breathing was getting faster and he looked very nervous.

"Olivia, it's Drew," he said. "Are you sure El did not leave her hotel room?"

His eyes narrowed as he listened to the person on the other line. "We're here outside her room and no one is answering. We've been ringing for a while now."

There was a quick pause and Drew ended the conversation with "Okay, we'll be here" before hanging up.

"What's going on?" Madison asked, sensing the tension.

Before Drew could answer, the sound of the rustling of the carpet caught their attention. A figure of a woman wearing a bathrobe was walking towards them. She appeared to be talking to someone and it seemed as if they were arguing. Madison guessed that it was Ellie's agent, Olivia.

"I'll have to call you later," the woman said curtly and quickly flipped close her phone.

Without consulting the couple, she quickly produced a key card from her pocket and used it to open the room. Finally, the woman was able to turn the knob but when she tried pushing, the door wouldn't budge.

"Kids, I need your help," she said calmly, still pushing the door with all her might.

With the help of Madison and Drew, the three were able to open the stubborn door. It turned out that the white sofa chair was deliberately placed to keep anyone from coming.

Quickly and quietly, Olivia went inside hurriedly followed by Drew. Madison was a little hesitant to come inside, when she noticed the messy room. She had a very bad feeling at the pit of her stomach as if there is something she did not want to see. But she tried to shake the sense of trouble and went deeper inside where the two had disappeared.

The scene unfolding in front of her made Madison gasp out loud. Ellie was there alright, lying unconsciously on her bed looking pale white and dead.


	11. At the hospital

The stunned Madison watched as Drew carried the unconscious half naked girl in his arms. Ellie's face was already as white as sheet and Madison was scared of the great possibility that they might already be too late. Inside, she was freaking out as if she wanted to scream. But she was too shaken to actually do or say anything.

"Let's go," Drew said, calmly.

"We'll take my car," the older woman said.

All Madison could think about as they walked along the empty hallway and rode the elevator was "OH GOD! PLEASE DON'T LET HER BE DEAD!" She was closed to sobbing and so she covered her face as she followed her two companions whose emotions were more in control.

Luckily, Olivia's car was parked below the hotel where it was more secluded. Their great concern was not letting the paparazzi know about the incident.

Wasting no time, Olivia automatically opened her car while talking to someone on her phone. It appeared that she had been calling the nearby hospital to ensure that they will be ready when they arrive. Drew hopped in at the back and Madison followed suit. He was busy calling people that seemed to be Ellie's relatives.

As they drove to the hospital, Madison just stared at the pale face of Ellie. So many things were running in her mind and she felt guiltier than guilty. Was this her fault? Was it because of what she had said last night to Ellie? Was it that too painful? Painful enough to make Ellie want to take away her life?

Fortunately, the hospital was just a few blocks away. With Olivia's early warning, a team of medical crew was already waiting outside the emergency room. Drew instantly but gently brought out Ellie from the car and placed her to the hospital bed waiting outside. The medics people instantly rushed her inside while shouting orders at each other.

Drew and Olivia, who were both still talking to people on their phone, followed them. Madison was about to come after them but her pace slowed down as if her feet did not want to move.

_Should I follow them? I mean, I am the reason why Ellie did this, right? I'm the culprit, right? _She thought to herself.

Madison started to feel dizzy. She did not know if it was because of her hangover or if it was because of what had happened. There she stood at the middle of the hallway, unable to determine what she should do. Should she run as far away as she could before they start accusing her? Should she stay so the police could arrest her?

Shaking her head, Madison knew she was just exaggerating. But the guilt she felt was too much that she could not help blaming herself for what happened.

"Maddie!"

Madison looked up and saw Drew running towards him. He grabbed her and held her tight while smoothing her hair. This made her weaken and started crying for real.

"Everything will be okay," he assured her.

Madison shook her head. "This is all my fault," she sobbed. "I made her want to kill herself. I am so sorry."

"No!" Drew protested. He pulled away from their embrace and made Madison look at him. "It is not your fault. This is not the first time that Ellie tried killing herself. She has a problem."

"But don't you get it? I triggered her! Just because of this stupid paranoia and stupid jealousy I was feeling! I am so selfish!"

"Maddie…"

Drew led her to the waiting area for the visitors. There, Madison cried for some more as he stroked her hair, trying to be comforting. She cried on for about 30 minutes until she finally calmed down. The crying helped clear her head and made her feel better but did not do anything for her headache.

"I'll get you something to drink," Drew whispered to her ears. He was about to stand up but Madison stopped her.

"Stay here," she pleaded.

"Okay."

The couple stayed quiet for some time with their arms around each other. The atmosphere in the hospital was still and peaceful without any riot that had once happened earlier when Ellie was brought in.

"You said that it was not the first time that Ellie did this?" Madison muttered, breaking the silence. Even though there were very few people around them, she did not want to be heard and catch attention especially since they're talking about a huge celebrity.

Madison's confused eyes were met by his intense ones. He seemed to hesitate telling her about it but he obliged.

"Will you keep a secret?" Drew asked.

She nodded. "Of course."

He sighed. "You see, El's life had not always been easy. She may look like a cheerful girl from the outside but on the inside, she was torn and sad. Back in Junior High, her classmates used to tease her that she was not pretty and they call her dumb."

"That's terrible!" Madison exclaimed. She remembered how happy go lucky Elaine Minami was when she first met her and Aimee's nasty comment on how un-pretty she was.

Drew nodded. "What made it worse is that her older brother, Simon was like the coolest kid in their school. He was smart and talented and very popular. Their parents were so proud of him and why wouldn't they be? In High School, he graduated a valedictorian. He got accepted in Harvard and he's now one of the best lawyers in America. He was everything they wanted him to be."

There was a quick pause before he continued telling his story. "And El is the exact opposite of Simon. She was not as smart and not as popular. Her parents were so disappointed on her especially her father. He always makes sure that he reminds El that she's a disgrace to their family."

"Omigod," she muttered.

"More so, El did not want to be a professional like her brother. Her parents wanted her to be either a doctor or a lawyer or maybe to take after their business. But that's not her passion. She wanted to be a model and she got the height for that. But when her father found out, he got so mad and they got into this really huge fight. That was the very first time she tried to kill herself."

Madison gasped. "And what happened?"

By now, Drew's eyes were already red and watery. "I saved her, just like today. We were 15 years old then, she tried slitting her wrist. It was a chaos in their house and it surprised me that her father was angry instead of worried. El got better and she recovered but her father was so mad and commanded her to leave the house."

"What about her mother?" she asked.

"Mrs. Minami did not have a say on things. Even if she was worried about her daughter, all she could do was follow her husband. When El left, her mother bought her a home in Los Angeles but they have never talked to each other after that. Olivia was the one who looked after her. And that's when Ellie Mi was born. She no longer wanted to be Elaine Minami. She had undergone plastic surgery and all that crap that changed her from the sweet, innocent girl to that supermodel you all know now as Ellie Mi."

Silence fell over them as Drew's bitter words rang in Madison's ears. She could not believe what Ellie had gone through because of her parent. But there was still something unclear to hear.

"What about you two?" she asked. "What happened? Why did it end?"

A deep sigh escaped from Drew's mouth. He would not meet Madison's eyes. "It was not only once that El tried killing herself. Whenever she gets rejected when she was still starting to be a model, she would do it again and again. It was kind of sickening and tiring witnessing all that. I told her I'd leave her if she'd do it again but it was like she never listened."

Madison nodded slowly, digesting everything that she had heard. A new fear started creeping over her now that she finally knew how Ellie and Drew broke up. It was hard, knowing that what she should be worried about Ellie's condition now but she also felt a little angry though she did not to whom it was directed.

"How about a shrink? Or rehab?" she asked.

Drew shook his head. "We believed her when she said again and again that she will stop. We forced her to go but she wouldn't."

"But you still love her, right?" Madison could not help asking.

To her surprise, Drew suddenly threw his arms around her. "You're the one I love Maddie. How many times do I have to say it? I care about El but just as an old friend."

Madison tried swallowing the lump on her throat. Tears threatened to come out again but she refused to give in. "It's just the way things ended between the two of you. There's no clear resolve."

To her surprise, Drew laughed. "It was very crystal clear that everything ended then and there. She started dating other male celebrities."

"Oh," was all Madison could say. She did not expect to hear that, what with how Ellie had been acting when she's around Drew.

"Drew!"

The two looked up to see Olivia approaching them, still in her bathrobe. Her eyes were red and blotchy, evidence that she'd also been crying.

The only male stood up among the three and the two got into a serious discussion. Madison watched them, so many things starting to run in her mind. What did the doctor say? Will Ellie be okay? Will she push through? Or will the worst happen as what they have all feared?


	12. Real Paranoia

It had been three days since the dream vacation turned into a nightmare. Though the doctor assured them that Ellie will be okay and her condition is not that bad, the patient still had not woken up ever since she was brought to the hospital.

Despite their attempts to keep everything hushed up, the paparazzi seemed to always figure out about things like this. Not only did they find out about the suicide attempt, they were also able to dig into Ellie's personal life such as her problems with her high-end father.

So even if Madison kept her promise to Drew that she would not tell anyone about Ellie's story, the whole world ended up hearing it anyway. Even their friends know about it and they tried checking in often.

Despite Spring Break being a private place with supposed tight security, a few of the media people were still able to sneak in and would stay outside the hospital. This made it harder for Madison and her friends to go visit Ellie since they often get mobbed by these people. More so that they found out about the little tantrum Madison threw in when she got drunk which made her and Drew one of their key targets.

Besides Madison and Drew, Ellie also had other visitors coming from faraway places. On the night of the incident, a tall, business-like man arrived and introduced himself as Ellie's older brother, Simon. He appeared to be very worried that he instantly flew from Chicago when he heard about the news. Madison was reminded of what Drew told her about the two siblings being compared to each other yet Simon did seem to care deeply about his sister.

However, Simon was only able to stay for two days since he still had some work to do that could not wait but he promised to call Olivia for news.

To Madison's dismay, none of Ellie's parents came to visit her. Not even any of those guys Drew mentioned that she dated before came to see her.

On the morning of the third day since the accident, Olivia had called Drew at the beach house and happily informed them that Ellie had awoken. With this, the friends planned to visit again but Ellie's aunt discouraged them because of the massive paparazzi outside the hospital. However, Olivia had not left the hospital since Ellie got confined and so Drew offered to take her place even just for a while so she could rest.

Madison was in a dilemma whether to come to the hospital or not. She was afraid of facing the suicidal model after everything that had happened yet she feared being away from Drew again after everything that had happened. Drew did not force her to come but she finally agreed to come because of Fiona's persuasion.

On their way to the hospital, Madison's heart started pounding. She was starting to have second thoughts on her decision to come but Drew was very reassuring.

As they were about to walk inside the room, Drew gave Madison a squeeze that helped her calm down even just a little. Upon entering, her eyes easily caught sight of the still figure on the bed. Ellie Mi was currently asleep and this made her sigh with relief.

"Maddie, I just need to go to the nurse station for a while, okay?" Drew whispered.

Madison panicked inside and she stared at her boyfriend with horror. "You're leaving me?" she croaked.

With a small smile, he kissed her forehead. "Everything will be alright. Just relax."

Unsure of herself, she nodded like a scared little child as she watched Drew walk away.

With the sound of the door closing, Madison's eyes instantly landed on the bed to see that Ellie did not move an inch. Trying to calm her nerves, she slowly walked towards the cushion beside the bed and there she sat, leaning comfortably on the wall with her eyes closed.

"I am so stressed out right now," she sighed to herself.

"I know right," a weak voice responded.

Madison suddenly sat up with her eyes wide open. Ellie was smiling at her, her face still looking pale.

"E-Ellie, y-you're awake!" Madison stammered. "D-do you need anything? Should I call the nurse? What can I do for you?"

A laugh escaped from the model's mouth though it sounded more like a gurgle or a cough. "I am fine, Maddie. You can just sit down and relax."

"Oh," Madison muttered and sat down again.

A silence fell over them and Madison found it a chance to finally give her apology. "I'm sorry," she said while looking down at her hands.

"For what?"

"Well, for the whole shouting thing at the bar. I was drunk and I lost control of myself. I did not know what I was doing and I am so sorry you ended up this situation."

Ellie laughed again. "Oh that. That was nothing compared to all the other yelling I have experienced before."

Madison's head popped up. "What do you mean?"

"I did not do this because of you," the patient explained. "Well, maybe partly because of what you have said but anyway, you were actually right."

"It wasn't right to act the way I did," Madison said guiltily. "Look, maybe we don't have to talk about this right now. You should rest so you could heal faster."

Ellie shook her head. "I have a confession to make," she said. "You see, everything you accused me of is true. I really was trying to get Drew back."

Madison tried not to glare at Ellie so she just looked away. So she was right all along. Her paranoia was not actually paranoia. They were real girlfriend instincts.

"But I never really meant in that way that I'm trying to steal him or anything," Ellie defended. "I know you love Drew so I'm sure you will understand if I say that he is the kind of person that you'd want to keep in your life. I've never really realized how much he matters to me until I had completely lost him. He had always been there for me and he never leaves. I was stupid enough to take him for granted."

Ellie was already starting to sound bitter and as if she was about to cry so Madison started to panic that this might not be good for her especially with her condition.

"We don't have to talk about this," Madison interjected.

"I love him, Maddie, and you're so lucky to have him I swear," Ellie poured her hear out. "I fucking screwed up and I wish the hell would just swallow me up or something. Nobody cares about me, you know. Only a very few people like him. And I pushed him away because I made wrong choices that I thought would make me happy. I was so dumb I swear I am."

Madison was about to speak up again when the door suddenly opened and Drew came in carrying a pile of papers. He smiled at his girlfriend and stopped when he realized that Ellie was already awake.

"Hey Drew," Ellie greeted the newcomer cheerfully with her voice hoarse.

"What happened? Why are you crying?" he asked, approaching the bed. He glanced at Madison for answers.

"We were just talking-" Madison was about to respond but Ellie interrupted her.

"How stupid and selfish I am for all that I've done with my life."

"This is not the time to talk about things like this, El. You should recover first," Drew said gently.

Stubbornly, Ellie faced the other side, away from the two. She then covered her head with the blanket and kept silent.

"Maybe I should leave the two of you to talk," Madison mumbled, as she stood up to leave.

Nobody protested with her proposal and she was glad for that. Closing the door behind, all she could think and wish about is how she wanted for this drama to end.


	13. Silly Thoughts

Madison did not bother going back to the room when she left. After getting a cup of hot coffee from the vending machine along the floor, she decided to sit down on one of the nearby chairs where a few people were seated.

She was lost in thought, staring at the white wall in front of her. What are they talking about now? What would Drew feel for Ellie after everything that had happened? Will she lose him for good? Will he choose his first love or will he still settle for his new love?

Despite all her doubts and fears, she knew strongly the answers to her questions. She will not lose Drew over this incident. Or maybe that's just wishful thinking?

"There you are," a male voice said that brought Madison out of her reverie.

As soon as Madison caught his eyes, she instantly jumped up and threw her arms around his waist. Drew slowly wrapped his arms around her and started rubbing her back for comfort.

"I love you so much," it was all Madison could say at the moment.

"I love you too," Drew laughed.

The two hugged each other for a while before Madison finally pulled away.

"Why did you leave? Is it safe for Ellie to be left alone?" she asked worriedly.

A smile appeared on his face with all the exhaustion from the previous days no longer visible. "Oh she's not alone. Her mother came to visit her."

Madison's face brightened up upon hearing the news. "Really? That's good to hear!"

He nodded, still smiling. "I know. I just hope everything that had happened will be for the better now."

"Me too."

The couple went back to the room after each had their coffee and was surprised to see that both Ellie's and her mother's eyes were red and blotchy. However, the atmosphere in the room seemed to have lifted and the new glow on the patient's face was very evident.

"Oh mom, that's Madison. She's Drew's girlfriend," Ellie said cheerfully.

"Nice to meet you, Madison," Mrs. Minami said with a smile.

"Hello Mrs. Minami," Madison greeted back, admiring how young looking the woman was.

Ellie and her mother suddenly laughed that startled the new comers.

"Just call me Rebecca," the older woman said. "You see, I will be filing my divorce soon so I will not be carrying that name anymore."

"That's great, Rebecca!" Drew exclaimed that made Madison jump. He threw his arms around Rebecca and the two laughed together.

Madison did not know how to react since she was not really in the know of the life of the Minamis except with what she heard from Drew's stories.

"This calls for a celebration," Drew said, placing his arms around Madison.

The conversation was interrupted again when the door had burst open. The tenants of the room all turned to see who entered. A tall guy with long dark hair came in with a frantic look on his face. Madison was surprised how striking he was despite looking like he just woke up. She came to the conclusion that this might be another model who knew Ellie.

"Joaquin?" Ellie squeaked with her jaw dropped.

The visitor smiled, hugging the patient. "Lili! I came here as soon as I can."

Madison noticed the heavy accent that he has. But she could not guess what country he had come from because of his exotic features.

"I'm surprised that you came," Ellie gushed. "You're alone?"

Joaquin nodded with a sheepish grin. "My manager did not want me to go. I just escaped and I came all the way from Paris."

Madison's eyebrow rose upon hearing that. This guy came all the way from Paris to visit Ellie? Hmm…

"You did not have to come you know."

"But I'm here now."

Madison watched Ellie and Joaquin share shy smiles. It was as if they were oblivious of their surroundings, as if forgetting that there are other people in there. But Ellie easily snapped out of it, finally glancing at her other visitors.

"Oh Joaquin, this is my mom, Rebecca," Ellie said, touching her mother's arms. "And these are my friends, Drew and Madison."

"It is very nice meeting you," Joaquin greeted as he shook everybody's hand.

"Joaquin de la Rosa is a friend of mine whom I've met in one of the fashion shows in New York about 2 months ago," Ellie explained. "We were both modelling for Ralph Lauren if I remember correctly."

"You are correct," Joaquin smiled. "But I am no longer focusing on modelling since I decided to pursue a career on music. I am just starting though."

"Oh we'd love to hear your music some time," Rebecca complimented.

Joaquin smiled modestly. "My manager kept on calling me on my way here. So I offered him a compromise that I could perform here in Spring Break for my first ever gig so as to pay back for all the fashion shows I missed in Paris. Glad to say he agreed to my offer."

"That's great to hear!" Ellie said excitedly while clapping her hands. "When and where will it be held?"

Joaquin scrunched his nose. "I think it's called 'Luna's Shack'. My manager already called. Luckily, everything worked out for the best."

"So when will it be?"

"When you get out of the hospital so you can watch me."

The blush on Ellie's face was very obvious that made Drew and Madison catch each other's eyes.

The five continued to chat about Ellie's and Joaquin's career. Madison just listened attentively, feeling entranced by how easy going and down-to-earth Joaquin was all the time. He was not the least cocky and he was very likeable. She could not also help wonder if Joaquin knew about the suicide attempt. Maybe he did know but was too polite to bring it up. And it seemed as if he could easily lift Ellie's spirit up easily.

After some time, Madison and Drew finally bid farewell to the others. The two walked back to the car holding each other's hand. Fortunately, they were able to duck the paparazzi since they parked somewhere deserted.

"Joaquin's arrival was really unexpected to me," Madison admitted, clutching her boyfriend's arm.

Drew nodded. "He seems nice though."

"Very nice," Madison agreed with a very different tone on her voice.

Drew noticed it and paused with a stern expression. "Are you checking him out?"

The brown-haired gal who's starting to feel relaxed giggled. "For Ellie, baby."

"Oh," he mumbled then laughed.

The two continued walking in silence until they reached their car. Drew opened the door of the passenger's seat but Madison did not get in. Instead, she faced him and stared into his eyes.

"Were you jealous?" she asked seriously.

Drew shrugged. "Well I thought you had a crush on him or something so I got a little jealous."

"No. I mean for Ellie and Joaquin, if ever they would end up being together."

The smile on Drew's face slowly disappeared. This made Madison feel nervous again that maybe, just maybe, he still have feelings for his old flame. Out of a sudden, his hand flew and landed on her nose, pinching it along the process.

"Ouch, Drew! That hurts!" Madison shrieked, pulling him away from her.

Drew guffawed. "Stop thinking about silly things, Maddie."

With that, Madison smiled, hopping into the car. He's right. She really should stop thinking about silly things. Drew's hers anyway, right?


	14. At Luna's Shack

"I am so excited," Aimee sang as she combed her blond hair in front of the mirror.

"Aim, you're hogging the full length mirror again," Fiona said with a roll of her eyes, trying to apply eyeliner with a compact mirror.

Aimee paused. "Is it wrong to admire my beauty?"

The other girls groaned upon hearing that.

It was a very lively night in the Maxwell Beach House as everybody prepared to watch the performance of Joaquin de la Rosa. After all the drama the previous days, everyone was excited for a reliever wherein they could surely go out, relax and have fun.

Ellie had just gone out of the hospital yesterday after 6 days of being confined. She instantly went to the Beach House and had a long serious talk with Madison and Drew. They talked about all that had happened and all that had to be resolved. Ellie apologized for her being selfish and was very thankful that Drew saved her life again. She admitted that her actions were unacceptable. The good news that she happily informed them was that she would finally be accepting his and Olivia's advice to see a shrink.

Madison was glad to see Ellie looking happier and much healthier. After all the drama, she was starting to like the model again and see her in a lighter side. The fact that Joaquin likes Ellie was also out in the open in their conversation. But she admitted that she was still unsure how she feels about her admirer because she still has feelings for Drew and Madison respected her for that.

They also talked about how the media people will certainly be bothering Ellie and the model bravely told them that she will lay low for now and focus on herself first before going through with her career. She wanted to manage her life for the moment and its much easier now after her reunion with her mom.

"I told you Aimee, he's got a thing for Ellie. Deal with it," Madison teased as she chose which to wear between two of her favorite tops.

They have searched Joaquin's face on the internet as soon as Madison told them about him. Though most of the girls did not recognize him, Aimee had claimed to know Joaquin as a model and had proclaimed that she found him yummy and she wanted him for herself especially knowing that he's a musician.

"Whatever Maddie," Aimee answered, not really affected by the statement. "The battle isn't over until it's over."

Lindsay giggled while ironing her hair. "Is he Asian?" she asked.

"He's part Israeli, Mexican, African-American and Irish," Aimee explained with a toss of her hair. "Hot, right? I just wished he got the Irish accent instead though but he grew up in Israel."

"What a nation," Lindsay quipped.

"That's a lot of blood," Fiona commented.

"Eew, I hate blood," Vicky admitted. "Like I really faint when I see blood."

"Seriously? But blood flows in you," Fiona commented with her eyebrow raised.

"I mean when the blood is already out of the human body like in an injury or something," Vicky explained. "Especially in the hospital when they have to get blood from you and they will use an injection on you and you'll see your blood being sucked into the tube."

"Okay let's stop talking about blood now or I might puke," Madison complained, pretending to gag.

"Imagine if Joaquin could suck my blood like a vampire…" Aimee said seductively, earning a hit from Madison and laughs from her other friends.

"Wow! The place is hopping!" Drew commented as they entered the crowded place of Luna's Shack.

Madison had to agree, surveying the area. It was the perfect place for a relaxing and cozy evening, situated by the beach. Someone was playing the piano at the left side of the stage but there were also other instruments placed on the other corners.

"We're going to have a problem finding a table," Chet sighed with his arm around Fiona.

Madison still could not believe how the twins had gotten real close after that night of talking. It would be hard to imagine how hard they were at each other when they were younger and how they hated each other's guts. The vacation really did them good and it wasn't even over yet.

"Maddie! Drew! Here!" someone called out over the noisy background.

The rest of the gang followed the voice and they saw Ellie standing by a long table almost at the center and in front of the stage.

Dan whistled. "That's such a perfect spot, huh? Just right in front of the stage," he commented.

Everybody approached the table with Drew on the lead.

"I just can't get over how perfect she looks," Lindsay whispered to Madison. "And they say that celebrities only look pretty on screen or when their photos are airbrushed or something. But she wasn't even wearing any make up."

"I know," Madison chuckled, knowing fully well who her friend was talking about. Despite her being against plastic surgery, the beauty she saw in Ellie now is much different. It was more on the once wounded girl finally becoming happy for real.

There were already three people settled on the table besides Ellie. Madison recognized the two women as Rebecca and Olivia who both smiled at her. The other one was a balding man around his 40s with a grim look on his face. Ellie introduced her aunt and her mom to Madison's friends and the sullen man was introduced as Tony Parker, Joaquin's manager. He gave all of them a nod.

As soon as everybody was seated, Tony excused himself and went backstage.

"What's his problem?" Drew asked Ellie who were sitting beside each other.

Madison was beside Drew so she heard him ask the question.

"On you mean Tony?" Ellie responded with her voice a little too loud that shushed the whole table. "He wasn't very happy Joaquin chose to perform his first gig in a small bar like this. He dreamed of something big already but Joaquin wanted to take it slow. He was especially furious at me because he thinks it was my fault."

"That's outrageous," Madison exclaimed but Ellie just laughed.

"It doesn't matter. He's like that but he could be nice when he isn't in a grumpy mood."

The conversation on the grumpy Tony Parker was soon put on halt as a young woman came to their table and gave away menus. Everyone stated their orders and then the server left.

Madison looked around the place again and saw people taking photographs and videos of the event. But she was surprised that nobody was bothering Ellie or even her mom and aunt since the hype about her being hospitalized was still fresh.

"No mean paparazzi tonight? That's new to me," she murmured to her boyfriend.

"Only a few chosen media people were given access to this event to avoid that kind of riot. I bet Tony wasn't happy about that too since he surely wants exposure for Joaquin," Drew explained.

Madison sighed. "This whole Hollywood thing is too complicated to me. I wouldn't want my life to be exposed to the world like what happened to Ellie. I am a very private person."

Drew grinned, placing his arms around his girlfriend. "Well I'm glad. That means you're all mine."

She slapped his arm playfully. "Oh you sappy little baby."

Someone walked in front of the stage who appeared to be a famous DJ. The crowd slowly hushed up as he took over the stage. "Good evening everybody! DJ Caruso here to sizzle your night. How are we all doing so far?"

"Great!" Egg yelled.

"Fantastic!" Chet added.

"You're hot!" Aimee exclaimed and everyone laughed.

"Why thank you madam. See me later for my phone number," he responded sleekly.

Madison rolled her eyes and half of their table groaned but the rest of the audience laughed.

"Arrogant much?" Lindsay murmured to her friends.

"I was only kidding," Aimee admitted to the table with a toss of her hair.

"And now without further ado. Put your hands together to one of the newest and freshest talents in the music industry… Joaquin de la Rosa!"

Joaquin went to the stage carrying an acoustic guitar and sat on a stool placed at the center as everybody cheered for his entrance. Two microphones were placed next to him, one for him and one for his guitar. He looked very different to the haggard person Madison saw in the hospital especially with his black and white fitted polo that shows a little of his muscles and a pair of jeans. His hair has the same shaggy rugged look and he actually captured the look of a musician ready for his gig.

"Go Joaquin!" Ellie yelled and the performer grinned at her from ear to ear.

"I know him! I remember now!" Vicky whispered to her friends. "I saw him in a magazine before but he had shorter hair then."

"He looks great, right?" Ellie whispered back with a wide grin and quickly riveted her attention back to the stage.

"Thank you all for coming here today," Joaquin started as the clapping died down. "I've never really thought that my very first gig will be here in Spring Break. Music has been my passion for as long as I can remember but I was the type of person who preferred to stay in a shell than go all out like this."

He paused. "But there was this person who made me realize talent and passion would be such a waste if not shared and conquered. And I am here because of you, Lili. I wrote this song especially for you."

All the girls in the crowd aaw-ed and Madison glanced at Ellie to see how she reacted. The model did not catch her eye though as she was still entranced with the person on stage, a tear trickling on her face.

Joaquin started strumming a soft and mellow melody on his guitar.

_You were there and I never knew_

_Someday I will feel this too_

_That love songs often tell me to feel_

_When we met I did not regret_

_Certain things I did not expect_

_You were everything to me that's real_

_You were troubled by your past_

_And I hope it wouldn't last_

_Would you like to make this present with me?  
_

_Nothing may be certain_

_Nothing may be sure_

_How can I forget_

_That there is a rule_

_But I would not be bounded_

_Of what can be _

_Since the day_

_You came my way_

Madison felt the strong arms of her boyfriend wrapped around her body. It was such a perfect a moment with that perfect song. It was a song to fall in love to and a song to fall in love with. A song of falling in love. And she cannot help but hope that someday, Ellie will feel the same way with Joaquin or maybe with someone else who will be pretty special, just like how Drew is to her.


	15. Before Summer Ends

"Ugh! That's too difficult, Egg!" Aimee complained, with all of her friends' eyes on hers.

It was already dawn and there were only a few people staying at Luna's Shack since everyone finally left after Joaquin's performance. Even though the performer and Ellie had decided to leave because of having to go back to Los Angeles as soon as possible, Madison and the gang decided it's too early to go home and started a game of drink or dare.

It seemed as if the game just started and no one was drunk yet but the dare was already getting really hard. Egg was daring Aimee to remove her bra underneath her clothes in front of them.

Fiona slapped her boyfriend's arm while giggling. "Would you allow it if it was me who's going to do that?" she asked playfully.

Egg's face turned serious. "Okay I'll change that," he said that made everyone laugh.

"Share a secret that you have never ever told your best friends," he said tonelessly that made everyone groan.

"That's too lame for someone like you, Egg," Chet quipped.

Madison chuckled upon hearing that. Egg had always been known for his craziest and wackiest ideas so his dare to Aimee was kind of surprising. Fiona's remark must have done it to him.

To everyone's astonishment, Aimee did not laugh along with them but instead, a deep sigh escaped her mouth. "You got me, Egg."

"WHAT?" Madison, Fiona and Lindsay exclaimed at the same time making Vicky giggle.

"Chill! It's not something major that I've been keeping from you, 'kay?" their ballet friend responded with her hands held up. She gave Egg a dirty look. "You sneak!"

"Okay hold up! Egg knows and we don't? How did that happen?" Fiona demanded, giving her boyfriend an annoyed look as well.

"Don't look at me!" Egg argued on his defense. He slowly stood up from the tables and motioned the guys to follow him. "We guys are gonna chill while you girls are gonna grill… Aimee."

All the guys snickered as they all stood up chatting and walked away from the table. Drew gave Madison a squeeze but the brown-haired girl did not budge and only have her eyes on her best friend.

"I cannot believe you'd keep something from us, Aim," Madison said glaring at her friend. She leaned back on her chair, her arms crossed over her chest with a huff.

"And the worst part is that Egg found out about it first!" Lindsay complained.

Despite the obvious annoyance among her friends, Aimee was still calm and somehow unaffected by their melodramatic antics.

"Egg knew about it is because he's the biggest eavesdropper I've ever known," Aimee explained. "I told him not tell you guys yet because… I'm not yet ready. But I guess I don't have any choice because of that blabbermouth."

"So what's the big secret then?" Vicky asked light-heartedly. Having been friends with the girls for a shorter while except with Madison, she was not very uptight about the issue on keeping secrets.

Aimee heaved a deep breath. The eyes of her friends did not leave her face as she prepared herself to tell her story. "Um, ever heard of Dancing with the Stars?" she mumbled.

Madison had heard of the show. But before she could react to the question, Fiona suddenly stood up and started jumping excitedly.

"Omigod! You will be in the show? Omigod!" Fiona squealed, running towards Aimee and giving her friend a squeeze.

"Seriously? That's great news!" Lindsay asked with her jaw dropped. She also stood up and was about to hug Aimee as well but their ballerina friend pulled away and held up her hands.

"Wait, I just asked if you are familiar with the show," Aimee explained. "The thing is, when Ellie invited us to The Paparazzi, I ended up dancing with a bunch of guys who seemed to have been professionally trained. Some of them I recognized as once competitors of the show. Surprisingly, one of them was a producer of the show and asked me to join."

"Wait, are you sure that the guy is not an imposter?" Madison asked, skeptical. "I mean, I'm sure you would be good enough for the show but I'm just worried that maybe he has other intentions."

Aimee nodded understandingly. "That's true. But I'm positive he really is one of the producers. I've only been fan of the show for a short while but I know him."

"So what's next? What's holding you up?" Fiona asked impatiently.

"Duh! School!" Aimee answered with a roll of her eyes as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "My dream is to become a great ballerina someday not to be some celebrity wannabe. I mean, I like the show a lot and I enjoy it but I did not work my butt off to get accepted in Julliard and then give it up just for that."

"You seriously think that?" Lindsay challenged. "I mean it is 'Dancing with the Stars' for goodness' sake."

"I kind of agree with Aim here. She can join the show when she's done with school, right?" Madison commented.

"IF there will be another chance for her again. What if this is the only chance for her to join?" Fiona replied.

"Then I guess 'Dancing with the Stars' just lost a great dancer in their show," Madison said matter-of-factly.

"What's the big deal? I can have my own show. No biggie," Aimee responded confidently with a toss of her hair.

All the girls laughed and the subject was instantly changed to Hollywood stars. But Madison observed that Aimee was a little quiet than usual and that she was obviously still thinking about the dance show.

After some time, Vicky declared that she's already tired and will be looking for Hart. The others decided to follow suit despite Aimee's complain that it's still too early. They met up with the boys who were all goofing around by the beach and headed home.

The following morning, the troop decided to go out for breakfast in a restaurant known for their delicious pancakes. While the girls were preparing in the room, someone suddenly knocked on their door.

"Is someone naked in there?" It was Drew and he was laughing. "Can I come in?"

"Wait a sec!" Fiona exclaimed who opened the door since she was the one nearest.

When Drew materialized in the room, Aimee surprisingly screamed that made him cover his face for fear of seeing something he'll regret.

"Just kidding!" Aimee quipped that made the others giggle.

"Very funny," Drew responded with a roll of his eyes. He then approached Madison who was seated right in front of her laptop typing something.

"I'll show you something," he said, taking over her laptop.

The others got curious as well while the only guy in the room went online and typed a website. There was a silence as they waited for the page to load. A photo of a man and a woman appeared which Madison soon realized to be Ellie and Joaquin.

"Wow! Ellie looks great!" Lindsay commented.

Madison had to agree with her friend. But Ellie's look was so much different from her blond-hair -blue-eyes look. The model's hair was now dark and her eyes were obviously brown again. - Just like how she looked like when they were younger. And somehow, Ellie looked like the happy, young girl she once knew before but still had the look of the beautiful woman they all envy.

"Joaquin does too," Aimee added with distaste.

It was obvious that Aimee did not like the fact that the two were now being seen in public. But the image did not imply that there was something going on between the two. They were just walking along the street with a big distance between them while smiling at the paparazzi. It was an innocent shot to say the least.

"Of course the media is still all hyped out from the suicide incident," Drew explained. "But I think Ellie will be able to handle it all now. I think she got stronger."

Madison stared at her boyfriend lovingly and kissed his lips. "I think so too," she sighed with satisfaction.

Madison's thoughts drifted as her other friends continued to look at photos of the new Ellie who was somehow back to her old self.

So much had happened in so little time and Madison never thought she'd live through it. With all that she had learned through her experiences, she could feel something good will come out with her friends.

For Ellie, she'll eventually get tougher and maybe, she will finally found a special someone with Joaquin. For Fiona, maybe this time she would get to be closer to her brother unlike before. For Lindsay, maybe they do not see each other often but the probability that they would still be friends for a long time was definitely strong. For Aimee, sooner or later, she will be able to decide if she will prioritize school or the dance contest.

And for Madison, some of the things she had done may not be acceptable. But she knew for sure her friends will be there for her to help her go through and learn from her mistakes. Plus, there's Drew to give her the hugs and kisses she would always need. That was definitely acceptable.

THE END


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